The present invention relates to a method of cleaning a cleaning target and, more particularly, a technique for removing soil or contamination of a surface to be cleaned of a cleaning target by blasting it with a granular dry ice fluid.
The present invention also relates to a method of cleaning components or units including electric components of a business machine, electric device, and the like by blasting it with dry ice and a detergent.
In addition, the present invention relates to a dry ice cleaning apparatus for blasting a cleaning target with dry ice.
Further, the present invention relates to a technique which removes soil and an attaching substance from components or units of a business machine, electric device, and the like, and allows to recycle the cleaned components.
A technique for causing dry ice particles as a cleaning agent to impinge on a surface to be cleaned, thereby removing a substance attaching to the surface be cleaned is disclosed in, e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 61-15749.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-202210 discloses a cleaning system for automatically carrying out the cleaning operation of a recycling component while preventing it from being damaged.
The technique shown in this reference discloses a system for removing soil of a recycling component of an office automation apparatus by blasting it with granular dry ice. This technique has a cleaning nozzle which injects granular dry ice together with pressurized air, and a system which carries out the cleaning operation while moving the cleaning nozzle along the surface of the recycling component.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-202208 discloses a system which performs a cleaning operation by using dry ice pellets as a medium.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 51-60095 discloses a technique with a sand blast method using a sublimation material.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 06-53199 discloses a technique for cleaning a surface to be cleaned with dry ice, and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 09-11131 discloses a technique in which cleaning is performed by using dry ice particles and a surfactant.
A need for reusing or so-called recycling the constituent components and units of a business machine and electrical appliance has become strong in terms of effective utilization of resources, countermeasure for environmental pollution, and the like.
To recycle the constituent components and units of the above machine and device, they must be removed from the machine and device, and whether they function correctly must be checked. Also, these components and units must be maintained in or restored to an almost brand-new state.
In practice, such machine and device have been soiled or contaminated in the atmosphere where they have been used, and a cleaning operation is needed to remove their soil and contamination.
For example, regarding a copying machine or printer as an example of a business machine, as it uses toner as the image forming material, soil or contamination due to toner dust occurs in, e.g., the fixing unit and components and units around it.
Regarding electric home appliances such as a television, air conditioner, refrigerator, cooler, and the like, regulations for recycling have been put into operation. A recycling system is also needed for the components of other electrical and electronic devices, business machines, data communication devices, and industrial machines in terms of the environmental and resource problems.
To recycle the components and units incorporated in these machines and devices, countermeasures such as cleaning methods and apparatuses are required for each specific atmosphere where such machine and device is used and for each contamination source.
For recycling and restoring machines and devices, a cost required for business entities to supply the recycled machines and devices on the market again needs to be reduced.
The present invention has been made in view of the problems described above, and has as its object to clean a machine and device soiled in accordance with an atmosphere, where it has been used, to make it be suitable for recycle.
In order to solve the above problems, according to the present invention, there is provided a method of cleaning a cleaning target such as a component or unit including an electrical component while blasting the component or unit with dry ice, wherein in blasting the cleaning target with the dry ice, a detergent is dropped or sprayed toward the cleaning target, and cleaning is performed while the dry ice and the detergent simultaneously act on a surface to be cleaned of the cleaning target.
Furthermore, cleaning is performed while a type and concentration of the detergent are adjusted in accordance with a type of contaminant of the cleaning target.
Furthermore, cleaning is performed while a concentration and amount of the detergent are adjusted in accordance with a contamination degree of the cleaning target.
Furthermore, cleaning is performed while an amount and size of the dry ice are adjusted in accordance with a type of contaminant and a contamination degree of the cleaning target.
As an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for cleaning a cleaning target such as a component or unit including an electrical component while blasting the component or unit with dry ice, comprising means for blasting the cleaning target with the dry ice, storage means for storing a detergent, and means for making the dry ice and the detergent simultaneously act on the surface to be cleaned while the detergent stored in the storage means is dropped or sprayed toward the surface to be cleaned of the cleaning target, thereby solving the above problems.
Furthermore, the apparatus further comprises means for adjusting a concentration or amount of the detergent.
Furthermore, the apparatus further comprises means for discriminating a type of contaminant of the cleaning target.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a component or unit including an electrical component, wherein in blasting the component or unit with dry ice, a detergent is dropped or sprayed toward a cleaning target, and cleaning is performed while the dry ice and the detergent simultaneously act on the component or unit.
Furthermore, cleaning is performed while a type and concentration of the detergent are adjusted in accordance with a type of contaminant of the component or unit.
Furthermore, cleaning is performed while a concentration and amount of the detergent are adjusted in accordance with a contamination degree of the component or unit.
Furthermore, cleaning is performed while an amount and size of the dry ice are adjusted in accordance with a type of contaminant and a contamination degree of the component or unit.
Other objects and advantages besides those discussed above shall be apparent to those skilled in the art from the description of a preferred embodiment of the invention which follows. In the description, reference is made to accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and which illustrate an example of the invention. Such example, however, is not exhaustive of the various embodiments of the invention, and therefore reference is made to the claims which follow the description for determining the scope of the invention.